We talk to North Buncombe High School history teacher Ben Graham about coming of age through punk rock, and falling in love with world history. We discuss the importance of relationships to humanity and growth. He discusses why teaching is important to him and his philosophy around creating rich learning environments. He also talks about the profound way the past gives us perspective on our current cultural state.

Ben Graham is a teacher, writer, and storyteller – and has been teaching high school history for 16 years. He lives in Asheville, NC with his wife Jessica and their two children. He first discovered the power of history in his youth, by tracing the influences of his favorite rock bands, and spending weekends exploring the colonial village of Old Salem.  At age seventeen, he spent just under three weeks in Europe, cementing his passion for all things historical. Ben is a firm believer in bringing a punk rock ethos to teaching.  A recipient of numerous teaching awards, he writes and reflects on teaching at punkrockpedagogy.blogspot.com